Walk Like an Egyptian, Health Care Defeat and Poor Chris MatthewsDear Mark: The violent situation in Egypt scares me, as the wrong outcome could affect not only the Middle East region but the entire world. Joe Biden was put on the ticket for his foreign policy experience, yet the Obama administration's position seems to be all over the map. Egypt's President Mubarak has been a dictator for 30 years, which is not good, but many of the protesters seem awfully radical. What are your thoughts? — Clear it Up in Clearwater Dear Clear: To paraphrase an old saying, President Mubarak may be a dictator, but he's our dictator. His reign may not exactly be of the benevolent dictator variety, but he has been a stabilizing force in the Middle East and a staunch supporter of peace with Israel. The problem for the Obama administration is that the situation in Egypt is more complicated than organizing a community. President Obama has never intimated a true Middle East foreign policy other than platitudinous rhetoric — hence the lack of guiding principles to help him navigate a crisis of this magnitude. From the outside, the rebellion may look like a simple case of a country tired of living under a dictator and wanting a democratically elected government of the people's choosing. But one of the factions leading the rebellion, the Muslim Brotherhood, is clearly anti-Western and openly admits it will tear up Egypt's peace agreement with Israel if brought to power. My solution would be for Mubarak to stay in power until a structured, orderly transition to a Middle Eastern type democracy can take place. But as much as I hate to suggest this, maybe we should even enlist the help of the U.N. to avoid the appearance of the United States having an undue influence.
Dear Mark: Conservatives love to rail against judicial activism, yet politicians and pundits of your ilk are heralding a Florida judge's decision ruling that Obamacare is unconstitutional. Why the hypocrisy? — Gotcha Good in Georgetown Dear Gotcha: In my mind, an activist judge is one who clearly goes against the Constitution, nature or the overwhelming will of the people. In this case, U.S. District Court Judge Roger Vinson ruled that the Obamacare provision that mandates individuals to purchase health insurance is unconstitutional. Anybody who halfway listened during high school government class knows that the Constitution was designed to limit the powers of the federal government. Obamacare clearly expands federal powers by forcing individuals to purchase a product that they may not need, despite what Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and President Obama think what is best for us. Dear Mark: MSNBC's Chris Matthews is an idiot. This week, he actually tried to compare the tea party to the Muslim Brotherhood. Where does he get off making those outlandish statements? — Ugh! in Utah Dear Ugh!: As we like to say in Texas, bless his heart. His Bush Derangement Syndrome is in remission, while his Palinitis flares up more often than Charlie Sheen's porn-star problems. Someone needs to host a telethon for Matthews to find a cure for his tea party paranoia disorder, or he might go the way of Keith Olbermann. Apparently all of Matthews' afflictions cause him to demonize and delegitimize any person or organization that has the nerve to question his liberal principles ... if there is such a thing. Dear Mark is a public platform for your enrichment and entertainment. E-mail your questions to marklevy92@aol.com. To find out more about Mark Levy, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM
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